Environment forum confirms Yukon parties' stands on Peel plan

It was a polite, but decidedly partisan, crowd of about 100 of Yukon's more prominent environmental activists who turned out for an all-party election forum on Tuesday at Whitehorse's Beringia Centre.The event washosted by theYukon Conservation Society and CPAWS.

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While there were no surprises from the four delegates(representing the Liberals, NDP, Yukon Party and Green Party), all were asked to clarify their party's positionon the Peel watershed land use dispute.

The legal battle isnow before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Delegates were asked ifthey would support the original Peel Land Use plan, which would protect80 per centof the region from development, comparedto the Yukon Party government's planwhich would protectjust 30 per cent.

NDP leader Liz Hanson (Whitehorse Centre) said her partywould hire new, Peel-friendly lawyers.

"Our instructions to the new lawyerswould be to basically be a friend to the [original]plan," she told the crowd.

John Streicker, Liberal candidate for Mount Lorne-SouthernLakes,agreedandwants to ensure future land use planning exercises don't end up in the courts.

"It's the wrong tool altogether," said Streicker."We need to reinvest in land use planning."

Green Party candidate KristinaCalhoun(RiverdaleNorth)also supports the original Peel plan, as approved by Yukon First Nations.

"This was eight years of consultation. This is the public, this is the stakeholders, this is what they want and this is what the Green Party supports."

The Yukon Party's rookie candidateDanny Macdonald, running in Riverdale South, was left to answer for years of Yukon governmentlitigation, drawinggroans from the crowdafter conceding that the Peel region is important.

"Everyone now understands there will be significant protection for the Peel," Macdonald stated.

"We have to sit down with First Nation governments [after the court ruling]government to governmentand negotiate, to determine what that [protection]is."

Off-road vehicle regulations

Macdonald alsoresponded to environmental lobbyists looking for regulations to manage off-road vehicle usein the territory.

Macdonaldtold the crowd a re-elected Yukon Partygovernment would work with First Nations and other user groups to develop regulations that were inclusive and notdisadvantageous tohunters ortrappers, or the outfitting, tourism, ormineral exploration sectors.

That didn't impress Philip Merchant,activist with theYukon Trails Only Association(TOYA).

"We've seen fiveyears of foot-dragging and no end in sight, so it pretty much establishes where I'm not going to vote," Merchant said.

"No management of ATVs in the wilderness is coming from the current government, and certainly none are coming if they are re-elected."

Calhoun, who is the former leader of the Yukon Green Party,applauded the attention to environmental issues, urging the forumcrowdto hold candidates to their word.

"You may have noticed the other parties falling over themselves to talkabout their green policies,"Calhounsaid.

"Like it or not, this is partly because of the Yukon Green Party. Whatever the outcome, hold the next governmentwhoever it isto the environmental promises made to you herethis evening."

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